Quick and Easy Ways to Give Back

We get it – not everyone has enough free time to spend a day volunteering at the soup kitchen or to take on the commitment of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Most people are also on tight budgets (Why do you think we have no free time?! We spend it all working!), and aside from dropping a few pennies in the donation can in the checkout line once in a while, we don’t really go out of our way to donate. There really is no feeling that an quite match the one you get after knowing you helped a person in need, though, so for anyone looking for a completely doable way to give back, here are a few suggestions.

Care for Furry Friends

Make a visit to your local animal shelter – most are more than happy to have a volunteer lend a helping hand, even if it is only for a few hours a week. Taking so many stray animals means taking on a LOT of cleanup, feeding, walking, and bathing, and there can never be too much help. Playing with the dogs and cats can be a huge stress relief after a long day for you, too. If you have children, this can be a great way to get them involved in giving back early and can teach them many life lessons about animals and responsibility.

Turn Your Hobby into a Donation

There are tons of charities designated solely to providing comfort and normalcy to extremely ill children, homeless people, orphans, and more. If you like to sew, draw, or craft, then consider making up a few toys, blankets, or pieces of art and donating them to a charity. My college, for example, donated a bunch of handmade sock monkeys to a children’s hospital to keep sick children company. It felt good to give them a comfy friend, and I got to practice my crafting skills.

Donate Your Old Car

So many people buy new cars before even thinking about selling their old ones. If you are only going to get a few grand – or less – for your clunker, consider cutting your losses and finding a place that takes car donations. The proceeds from donated vehicles always go back to the community, whether it be helping the disabled train for new jobs or feeding families in need. Plus, it doesn’t take up much of your time and is tax-deductible.

This is a guest post. Stephen Craig is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow him @SCraigSEO.

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